24
Icala Lithethwa NguFelikhe
1 Ngemva kwensuku ezinhlanu umphristi omkhulu u-Ananiya wehlela eKhesariya labadala abathile kanye lomeli owayethiwa nguThethula, bafika beneka ukumangalela kwabo uPhawuli kumbusi. 2 UPhawuli esebiziwe, uThethula walethula icala kuFelikhe wathi: “Mhlekazi! Ngaphansi kombuso wakho sesikholise isikhathi sokuthula eside, ikanti lombono wakho usulethe intuthuko kulesisizwe. 3 Yonke indawo, ngazozonke izindlela, mhlekazi omuhle Felikhe, siyakwamukela konke lokhu ngokubonga okukhulu. 4 Kodwa ukuthi ngingakuchitheli isikhathi, ngiyakucela ukuthi uke usizwe kancinyane esikutshoyo.
5 Indoda le siyifumane ukuthi iluhlupho, ivusa isiphithiphithi phakathi kwamaJuda kuwo wonke umhlaba. Ingumholi wequla lamaNazarini 6 futhi yazama njalo ukungcolisa ithempeli; yikho sayibamba. Sasifuna ukumahlulela ngokomlayo wethu. [ 7 Kodwa umlawuli uLisiya weza wazamthatha ngodlakela ezandleni zethu, wathi obamangalelayo kabeze phambi kwakhe].* 8 Ngokumhlola wena ngokwakho uzalibona iqiniso ngazozonke lezizinto esimangalela ngazo.”
9 AmaJuda lawo ayingenela indaba eqinisa ukuthi lezizinto zaziliqiniso.
10 Kwathi umbusi esemphile ithuba lokuthi akhulume uPhawuli waphendula wathi: “Ngiyazi ukuthi usube ngumahluli walesisizwe okweminyaka eminengi; ngakho ngizivikela ngesibindi langentokozo. 11 Ungalithola iqiniso lokuthi kakudluli insuku ezilitshumi lambili ngiyile eJerusalema ukuyakhonza. 12 Abangimangalelayo kabazange bangifumane ngiphikisana lomuntu ethempelini, loba ngitshotshozela amaxuku emasinagogweni kumbe ngaphi edolobheni. 13 Bangezake balethe ubufakazi kuwe balezizinto abangimangalela ngazo. 14 Kodwa ngiyavuma ukuthi ngikhonza uNkulunkulu wabokhokho bethu, njengomlandeli weNdlela abayibiza ngokuthi ngumvukela. Ngiyakukholwa konke okuvumelana loMlayo lokubhaliweyo kubaphrofethi, 15 njalo ngilethemba elifana lelamadoda la kuNkulunkulu, ukuthi kuzakuba lokuvuka kwabafileyo, abalungileyo lababi. 16 Ngakho ngiyazama kokuphela ukuba isazela sami sihlale sihlanzekile phambi kukaNkulunkulu laphambi kwabantu.
17 Ngemva kweminyaka eminengi ngingekho, ngeza eJerusalema ukuletha izipho zabaswelayo ebantwini bakithi lokwethula iminikelo. 18 Ngangihlanzekile ngokomkhuba baze bangifumane ethempelini ngisenza lokhu. Kwakungelaxuku labantu elalilami, kumbe ukuthi ngangiphazamisa ngokuthile. 19 Kodwa kukhona amaJuda athile avela esifundeni sase-Ezhiya, okufanele ukuthi ngabe akhona lapha phambi kwakho, angethese icala nxa kukhona akusolayo ngami. 20 Kumbe wonala akhona kawachaze ukuthi licala bani alifumanayo kimi mhlazana ngimi eSanihedrini, 21 ngaphandle kwalokhu kodwa engakumemezayo ngimi phambi kwawo ukuthi: ‘Kungenxa yokuvuka kwabafileyo okwenza ngithonisiswe phambi kwenu lamuhla.’ ”
22 Ngakho uFelikhe, owayesazi kakhulu ngeNdlela walimisa icala. Wathi, “Kuzakuthi nxa uLisiya umlawuli angafika ngizaliquma icala lenu.” 23 Walaya umphathi wekhulu ukuthi agcine uPhawuli elindiwe kodwa amvumele ukukhululeka okuthile kanye labangane bakhe ukuthi bamuphe lokho akuswelayo.
24 Ngemva kwensuku ezinengi uFelikhe wafika lomkakhe uDrusila owaye ngumJudakazi. Wathi kakubizwe uPhawuli, wamlalela echaza ngokukholwa kuJesu Khristu. 25 UPhawuli wathi esebalisa ngokulunga, langokuzithiba langokwahlulelwa okuzayo uFelikhe wesaba wathi, “Sekwanele okwamanje! Usungahamba. Kungaze kulunge njalo ngizakubiza.” 26 Yena wayecabanga ukuthi uPhawuli uzamupha imali yokumfumbathisa, yikho wayembiza futhifuthi ekhuluma laye.
27 Isidlule iminyaka emibili, uFelikhe walandelwa esikhundleni nguPhokhiyu Festasi, kodwa ngoba uFelikhe wayefuna ukuthabisa amaJuda, watshiya uPhawuli elokhu esentolongweni.
* 24:7 Livesi ayikho kwamanye amaBhayibhili esiLungu.